For Being You
by Miss Pookamonga
Summary: Just a cute little scene between Suzy and Arthur. It doesn't really fit anywhere in the time frame of the books...it's just sort of random. But please R&R!


_Dear Readers,_

_I haven't really got much to say about this fic. I didn't even know what exactly would happen until I was halfway through writing it. I just felt like I needed to write about a SuzyArthur moment. That's all it is, really. Hope you enjoy._

_Best regards from a Bookworm,_

_Miss Pookamonga_

Arthur Penhaligon leaned his weight against the balcony railing and gazed off into the fading sunset. The sky, or the House version of it, was the color of a blazing bonfire sending bursts of light into the darkness of night. He vaguely remembered a similar sunset to this that he'd seen when he was young. He had, however, long since forgotten when he had seen it and why its image had managed to stay implanted in his memory for all those years. It was funny, he thought, how the House could seem so much like home when nothing at all was going on. A smile played on his lips as he basked in the few rare moments of peace he had before him. It was nice to feel secure again.

As he closed his eyes and felt the soft breeze tickle his cheeks, Arthur suddenly heard a sound behind him. It was the sound of feet approaching, and he knew exactly whose feet they were. He had grown so accustomed to hearing their tapping, shuffling, skipping, and banging that he didn't need to turn around to know who it was walking behind him.

"Hi, Suzy," he said with a wider grin as he opened his eyes and rolled them in amusement.

"Hey," Suzy Turquoise Blue said—or rather, yelled.

"Aaah!" cried Arthur, jumping up in shock. "You don't have to yell!"

Suzy grinned slyly and giggled. "Yeah, but I startled you and made you yell. I think it's awful funny."

Arthur rolled his eyes again and tried to pretend like he was frowning, but he failed miserably and let out a chuckle. Only, it came out through his nose and ended up sounding more like a snort.

"_What_ in the bloody name o' Pete was that?!" Suzy guffawed, doubling over with laughter. Arthur just took a deep breath and regained his composure.

"Nothing," he answered lightly, ignoring Suzy's laughter and turning his attention once again to the amazing sunset.

Suzy now rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Boys," she muttered loudly on purpose, just so she could annoy the boy next to her. "Always actin' like they gotta be tough or somethin'. Can't even allow a li'l snort in or they'll be afraid o' lookin' stupid."

"Pssh, you're one to talk. How many times have you tried to act tough?" Arthur retorted playfully, narrowing his eyes at her.

"I've never _tried _to _act_ tough. I _am_ tough. Unlike _some people_." Suzy jabbed him roughly with her elbow.

"Ow! Hey!"

"See what I mean?" She turned her nose upward in an exaggerated air of snobbishness and let out a loud snort that sounded somewhat like a pig's. Arthur practically had to sit down to stop himself from laughing uncontrollably.

"You're so weak, Artie. Can't even stop a li'l girl from makin' you laugh like a chicken."

"What do you mean, 'laugh like a chicken'?! I don't laugh like a chicken! Chickens don't even laugh! And don't call me Artie!" cried Arthur indignantly, standing up and crossing his arms in mock anger.

Suzy just chuckled. "You sound like a blasted chicken when you laugh. Cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck-cluck. That's what it sounds like. _Artie._"

Arthur made a growling noise in his throat. Suzy responded by whacking him lightly on the forehead and making a face at him before turning to face the sunset.

"What was that for?" he whined, rubbing his head.

"For being you," Suzy answered somewhat more quietly. Arthur thought he heard a hint of sadness in her voice, but he saw that she still had a small grin on her face. He sighed happily and leaned against the balcony railing again.

"What?" asked the dynamic girl beside him.

"I didn't say anything."

"You sighed." She imitated him, exaggerating the movement of her shoulders as she exhaled.

Arthur grinned again at her ridiculous antics. "I'm just…happy to have a moment of peace, that's all. It was a relieved sigh."

"Oh."

A moment of silence passed between them, broken only by the faint whistle of the wind past their ears. Arthur tried closing his eyes again, but found that they kept darting over to look at Suzy. Her eyes were closed, and she was leaning her small chin against her hands and smiling blissfully. He watched as the wind gently blew her loose strands of hair against her face, and he shivered when a few strands happened to brush against his fingers. Suddenly, her eyelids fluttered open and she turned her head to look at him as she leaned her cheek against her hands.

"Now what?" she asked, staring intently at him.

Arthur was a little startled at the intensity of her gaze. She seemed so serious and so calm, which she very rarely was. It scared him a bit, to see her like that. He wasn't quite used to it. He especially wasn't used to how deep her blue eyes looked—they seemed to be oceans in and of themselves, oceans that were slowly pulling him underwater and drowning him in their gaze. In fact, her whole face seemed to be tugging at him and taking him somewhere he'd only been a few times before. It wasn't really a place, it was more of a state of being, a feeling—a feeling he only got whenever he took the time to really _look_ at her and think about her…

"Arthur, your face is really close to mine," came Suzy's voice suddenly, dragging Arthur out of his trance. He blinked and realized that his face was indeed very close to Suzy's, and seeing how close they were made his stomach flop with nervousness. He moved his head away quickly and turned to look back at the sunset. But he couldn't concentrate on it anymore; his eyes immediately darted back to Suzy.

"Are you okay?" asked Suzy, lifting her head up and raising her eyebrows in concern.

"I'm fine," answered Arthur, choking on his words. They came out as barely a whisper. "I-I…it's…oh, nothing." He sighed heavily and laid his chin on his hands, as Suzy had done before.

Suzy seemed unconvinced, but she pressed the matter no further and just smiled a little as she looked back at the sunset. "Pretty, ain't it?" she remarked after another awkward silence.

"Yeah," whispered Arthur, trying very hard not to stare at the girl next to him.

Suddenly, he heard a muffled voice coming from somewhere inside the building. He groaned inwardly and stood straight again. It was Dame Primus, calling him again. His moment of peace was over.

"Dumb ol' Primey, ruining this. It was so…nice," Suzy sighed, turning her head to look at him. Arthur just nodded.

"I'll see you later then," he said awkwardly, then turned to leave. But he stopped suddenly and walked back to the balcony railing.

"What?" asked Suzy, straightening herself up and looking at him with a confused expression on her face.

Arthur looked down at his feet and fumbled with the buttons of his shirt for a few seconds, then looked back at Suzy. Immediately, her ocean blue eyes grabbed him and pulled him under their enchantment, and he let the spell draw him toward her until their lips touched, closing the space between them. He slid his arms around her waist as she instinctively wrapped hers around his neck. They stayed there for what seemed like eternity, then he reluctantly let go and pulled away from her, still letting his hands linger on her waist. Suzy just stared at him, her eyes wide with shock.

Not knowing what exactly to do next, Arthur stood there for a few moments looking at her, half expecting and half wishing for her to say something. But she didn't. So, he let his hands slip away from her waist, and he turned slowly and began to walk away.

"Wait!"

Arthur stopped and turned around.

"Wh-what was that for?" Suzy asked softly.

Arthur smiled broadly and gave her a tender look. "For being you."


End file.
